Emerald Academy (EA) is a free, independently-operated, K-8 college preparatory school. Emerald Academy is Knoxville’s first public charter school, and opened its doors in July 2015 to its first class of kindergartners and first graders. At full enrollment, the school will educate approximately 460 scholars. We are preparing urban scholars for the college of their choice and community leadership. Specifically, we aim to have all of our scholars reading on or above grade level by third grade, to have all of our scholars complete Algebra I in eighth grade, and to have our school rated among the top five percent of Tennessee public schools by our tenth year of operation. The faculty and staff at Emerald Academy are critical to the achievement of these goals, and each member of the staff carries responsibilities that help achieve these goals.
JOB TITLE: Scholar Coach
REPORTS TO: Director of K-2, Director of 3-5, or Director of 6-8
JOB SUMMARY: The Scholar Coach helps EA maximize scholars’ academic engagement and outcomes across a specified set of grade levels. The Scholar Coach accomplishes this by supporting and reinforcing the behavioral norms and expectations that undergird EA’s school culture. As such, the Scholar Coach is primarily a scholar-facing role. The Scholar Coach reports directly to the director of a grade band.
JOB DUTIES:

Intervene with scholars in your grade band who need behavioral supports beyond those provided by his/her teacher in the normal course of classroom instruction.
Implement school-wide incentive plans for positive behavior and academics, in conjunction with other scholar coaches and directors of grade bands.
Work with suspended scholars, their families, and the director of the grade band to eliminate future suspensions.
Track scholar visits to the reflection room and devise a plan to prevent recurrences that is consistent with EA’s Scholar Support Plan.
Manage the reflection room for scholars based on a rotating schedule with other scholar coaches. Follow all reflection room procedures to ensure consistency in school-wide processes.
Internalize and model Teach Like a Champion (TLAC) best practices when coaching scholars.
Participate in weekly, scheduled in advance, one-on-one meetings with the director of the grade band, to improve one’s practice of coaching scholars.
Model EA’s values at all times.
Persistently, insistently, and consistently reinforce EA’s high expectations for scholar behavior with all scholars all the time; always sweat the small stuff and never give up on a scholar.
Build strong relationships with scholars and families in your grade band to create investment in EA’s culture and expectations.
Help scholars to develop care for their EA community, their own academic performance, graduating from college, and becoming the next generation of leaders in their communities.
Help scholars find joy in learning.
Participate in staff professional development sessions and staff meetings.
Chaperone during lunch and recess, as requested by the director of the grade band.
Serve bus duty before and after school, including accompanying scholars on the bus route, as requested by the director of the grade band or School Director.
Support EA expectations to ensure smooth entry, dismissal, and hallway transitions.
Refrain from discussing confidential school business and scholar records during and outside of school hours.
Follow EA’s handbook protocol for scholar consequences and communicate these in a professional manner to families. Report all behavior that requires a consequence beyond the reflection room to the appropriate director of a grade band.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Associate’s or other college degree
Enrollment in teacher education program preferred
1-2 years’ experience in urban education, especially in a high-performing urban charter school, preferred
Experience using TLAC strategies preferred
Excellent communication skills
Strong interpersonal skills with scholars, parents, and colleagues
Willingness to address concerns head-on and advance them through the chain of command if they are not resolved
Ability to engage in critical conversations with respect, vision, and humility
Experience and success working in urban school communities
Ability to organize workload independently and set and adapt priorities as needed
Ability to thrive in a high-pressure environment
Team player, with maturity, humility, strong work ethic, follow-through, sense of humor, and “roll-up-my-sleeves” attitude
Regular reflectiveness and receptiveness to feedback
Stamina and the ability to set and achieve ambitious goals and handle the intensity required to bring your best self to an extended school day in a high-performing school environment
Deep commitment to Emerald Academy’s mission and its values of high expectations, excellence, respect, teamwork, and commitment

START DATE: July 2026